The present invention relates to a container for a flowable material which container can be carried on a person.
Typically, foods and beverages are sold or dispensed in containers which must be held with one or both hands. For example, beverages such as soft drinks and slushes are often dispensed from machines into paper or plastic cups. These cups sometimes have lids to limit the potential for spilling but must be held in order to be transported, thus occupying one or both hands. This requirement is both a nuisance and a hazard, since hands and fingers that are occupied with a food or beverage container are not available to steer a bicycle or drive a car effectively.
Some attempts have been made in the prior art to develop containers for foods, beverages and other flowable materials which can be carried on a person without occupying the hands and fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,473 (Paquette) describes a combination hand weight and water dispenser which is adapted to be carried in a hand. The dispenser includes a D-shaped body with a discharging aperture. Although the design of the dispenser may permit some limited use of the fingers when it is being held, the dispenser is still intended to be carried in a hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,688 (Harrigan) describes a suntan lotion bracelet formed from a tubular body configured in the shape of a ring. The bracelet may either form a continuous ring or it may have ends which are brought together to form a ring. Orifices for filling and dispensing the suntan lotion are either located at the ends of the bracelet or at a point or points along the bracelet. Suntan lotion is dispensed from the bracelet by squeezing the tubular body. Although the bracelet is bendable, it is not axially deformable to alter its volume or its length.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,833 (Edison et al) describes a water system which allows cyclists to drink liquids while riding. The system includes a collapsible liquid container which is stored in a flexible backpack worn by the cyclist. A mouthpiece worn by the cyclist is connected to the container with a length of tubing. The mouthpiece is a valve device which permits liquid to flow from the container to the cyclist""s mouth when the mouthpiece is compressed between the teeth. This system is relatively complicated and may not be practical for everyday use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,362 (Janus et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,719 (Janus) both describe a liquid container pouch which is worn on the chest and is held in place with straps which extend around the neck. An adhesive is placed along the back side of the liquid container so that the container can be secured to the clothing of a user in order to reduce movement of the container during physical activity. A straw can be extended upwards from the liquid container to facilitate drinking from the container while it is being worn.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,570 (Hippely et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,194 (Hippely et al) both describe a liquid dispenser which is relatively flat, fits in the palm of a person""s hand, and may be carried in a pocket or hung around the neck with a cord or tube attached to the dispenser. The dispenser has at least one flexible wall portion which allows the dispenser body to be compressed to discharge liquid from the dispenser through a dispensing aperture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,308 (Tchen) describes an apparatus which can be worn on the head of an athlete and which can be used to store and dispense fluids. The apparatus includes an elongated flexible hollow tube having closed ends, straps with fasteners extending from the ends, a flexible straw which communicates with the interior of the hollow tube and an aperture with a filler plug removably received thereover to allow filling of the hollow tube with liquids. The hollow tube is extended around the head of a user and is held in place with the straps so that the apparatus is effectively worn as a xe2x80x9cheadbandxe2x80x9d. Although the hollow tube is flexible and is thus presumably bendable, it is not axially deformable to alter its length or volume.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,293 (LeFevre) describes a wearable liquid container which is similar in structure to the bracelet described in the Harrigan patent. The container is formed from a flexible tubular member having a pair of ends which are connectable to form a loop. One of the ends has an opening to permit access to the liquid carried in the container. Several structures for connecting the ends of the container are disclosed. The container may be worn either by being looped around a body part or by being wrapped around a body part. The container is not axially deformable to alter its length or volume.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,529 (Levit) describes a water dispenser for runners which also serves as a wrist weight. The dispenser includes an arcuately formed reservoir having pleated collapsible sides, a water dispensing control valve with a cap, and a sheathing to enclose the reservoir. The reservoir is inserted in the sheathing and is held in place around the wrist of a runner by fasteners located on the sheathing. Although the pleats facilitate alteration of the volume of the dispenser, the pleats are parallel with the axis of the dispenser so that alteration of the volume of the dispenser does not axially deform the dispenser or alter its length.
It is also well known in the prior art to provide a container which is axially collapsible for storage purposes and axially extendible to increase its volume for use as a container. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,564 (Shriver et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,129 (Nagata et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,413 (Jung), U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,397 (Fandeux et al) and U.S. Pat. No 5,746,339 (Petre et al).
None of the prior art described above, however, describes a container for a flowable material which can be carried on a person and which is both bendable and axially deformable to alter the length and volume of the container. There is a need for such a container which can be carried on a person and from which the flowable material can be dispensed by axial deformation of the container. There is also a need for such a container which permits alteration of its length by axial deformation of the container.
The present invention relates to a container for a flowable material, which container can be carried on a person. The container may be used to contain any flowable material including powders, grains, gels, foams, creams and liquids. The container is especially suited for use to contain foods and beverages.
There are two main features of the invention. First, the container is elongated and bendable so that it can be adapted to be carried on a person. For example, the container may be carried around a person""s neck, waist, leg, arm or head by bringing the ends of the container together around the desired body part or by wrapping the container around the desired body part. The container may also be carried on a belt loop, on the handlebars of a bicycle or on any other suitable object so that the hands and fingers of the user are available to perform other tasks.
Second, the container is axially deformable to alter its length and volume, which facilitates expelling of the flowable material from the container without the use of a utensil such as a drinking straw. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the axial deformability of the container also facilitates adjustment of the length of the container so that it can be carried by persons of different sizes and so that it can be carried on different body parts.
In one aspect of the invention, the container comprises an elongated vessel for containing the flowable material, the vessel including a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, a sealable inlet for introducing the flowable material into the vessel and a sealable outlet for expelling the flowable material from the vessel, wherein the vessel is bendable so that the first end and the second end can be brought toward each other and wherein the vessel is deformable axially to alter the length and volume of the vessel.
The container preferably includes a fastener for holding the first end and the second end relative to each other to assist in enabling the container to be carried on a person. Any fastener or method of fastening may be used.
The sealable inlet and the sealable outlet may be comprised of separate or distinct openings in the vessel, located at any desired positions in the vessel. Preferably, however, the vessel defines a single sealable opening which comprises both the inlet and the outlet.
The sealable opening may be located at any desired position in the vessel, but in the preferred embodiment the sealable opening is located at the first end of the vessel. Finally, the sealable opening may be sealable using any method, mechanism or device for sealing an opening. In the preferred embodiment, the sealable opening is sealed with a screw cap.
The container further preferably comprises a sheath for containing the vessel. The sheath may be comprised of any material which is suitable for both containing the vessel and for carrying on the person. In the preferred embodiment, the sheath is comprised of an insulating material to insulate the user of the container either partially or fully from hot or cold material contained in the vessel. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the sheath is constructed of a material that permits the application of printing such as advertising thereon.
The vessel may be contained in the sheath in any manner, For example, the sheath may be integrally formed with the vessel or otherwise associated with the vessel such that the sheath is not removable therefrom. Preferably, however, the vessel is contained in the sheath such that the vessel is removable from the sheath.
The fastener may be associated with any element of the container, including the vessel, the inlet, the outlet or the sheath, and in any manner which enables the fastener to hold the first and second ends relative to each other.
Preferably, however, the fastener is associated with the sheath so that the first end and the second end can be held relative to each other when the vessel is contained in the sheath. Where the fastener is associated with the sheath, any fastener or method for fastening may be used which is compatible with the sheath and which can hold the first and second ends relative to each other when the vessel is contained in the sheath. In the preferred embodiment, the fastener comprises a hook and loop type fastener.
The container may be constructed in any manner which facilitates bending of the vessel to bring the first and second ends toward each other. For example, the vessel may be constructed of a number of rigid or semi-rigid segments which can be articulated relative to each other to bend the vessel. Preferably, however, the vessel is constructed of a flexible material to facilitate bending of the vessel.
Finally, the axial deformability of the vessel may be achieved in any manner which also alters the length and volume of the vessel. Preferably, the vessel includes a circumferential wall extending from the first end to the second end. The circumferential wall may be constructed of any material, and may be comprised of any structure, mechanism or device which permits the axial deformation of the vessel while altering the length and volume of the vessel.
In the preferred embodiment, the circumferential wall comprises a plurality of pleats substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and spaced axially along at least a portion of the vessel so that the circumferential wall can be folded at the pleats to alter the length and volume of the vessel.
The pleats may be designed to retain their position when folded or extended, or they may be designed to tend to return to their original position when a force used to fold or extend them is removed. In the latter case, the length of the vessel can be controlled by sealing the sealable opening so that the vessel will seek a length where the pressure inside the vessel is balanced with the ambient pressure outside the vessel.